The computer is undoubtedly a powerful tool for musical composition: it enables composers to try out new musical systems, to build rules-based generative programs, to map extramusical formalisms onto musical representations, to build surrogate worlds for evolving musical cultures, and so forth. The range of possibilities is overwhelming.

This book emphasises a particular way of using the computer: as a generative tool. It introduces a number of generative techniques ranging from musical grammars and probabilistic tables, to fractals, chaos and evolutionary approaches. It also introduces the basics of machine learning of musical behaviour, with a view to embedding learning mechanisms into compositional systems. There has been a growing interest, however, in using the computer for composing and interacting with performers in real-time on stage. Such systems range from automatic accompaniment and karaoke-like systems, to methods for making the computer listen and react according to pre-defined compositional strategies. Apart from the discussion on controlling music using brainwaves, this book does not explicitly touch on the subject of interactive music. Although the great majority of composers today firmly purport the notion that composition is essentially a non-real-time activity that involves careful thinking, planning and crafting, interactive music composition is a considerable topic that deserves a book in its own right. M, IBVA and, to a certain extent, Texture and Vox Populi, are the only genuine systems on the CD-ROM designed primarily for real-time music making. Nevertheless, most of the techniques discussed in this book could well be applied to interactive musical systems.